Kempton Park resident Alicia Oldjohn (14) was a winner in the Gauteng Women’s Excellence Awards under the girl child category.
According to Alicia’s mother Dolores Oldjohn, the award goes to the child who has shown outstanding talent in different fields ranging from innovation, sports, acting and meritorious acts of bravery against all odds.
“Alicia felt very happy and hungry to do more after winning the award, as she was recognised for making a positive contribution to empowering young girls. She not only taught them to read but also spearheaded their love for loving books,” said Dolores.
ALSO READ: Awards recognise Thembisan talents
The event was hosted by the Gauteng provincial government in December, recognising and awarding exceptional women who continue to grow Gauteng in various areas of society.
Dolores said that the awards seek to recognise the work of women in Gauteng.
“It serves as a platform dedicated to recognising outstanding leadership, inspiration, vision and innovation in organisations and individuals that have stepped up and shaped women’s roles within the private and public sectors.
“At the age of three Alicia had speech delays and that required us to start attending speech sessions. By the age of five she loved listening to me reading stories for her,” said Dolores.
“I think her love for books was inspired by me, as I was desperate to teach my daughter how to speak. I took trips to the library to read for her.”
ALSO READ: City scoops two Rand Water awards
Dolores said she had to borrow more books to read at home, so she pretty much has been exposed primarily to the touch, feel and smell of books.
Dolores is also an award-winning author of children’s books. She wrote Be Amazing (6-12), What I want when I am big like mom dad (2-6) and Rainbow Through the Rain (a teenage book).
Dolores said Alicia started reading on her own by the age of six and ever since she never looked back.
Alicia, who is a Grade 9 learner at Ashton International College, has already written two children’s books under her name, Losing My Best Friend and Two Sisters on a Journey.
She is soon set to be launching her third book around May.
Dolores added that besides reading and writing her daughter is also a dancer.
“She would like to make exercises fashionable for teens and tweens to encourage body positivity and mental stability.”
Dolores said during the Covid-19 pandemic her daughter started her own YouTube channel.
“We were stuck in our homes, the children were bored and because Alicia was used to doing extra mural activities at home, she missed moving around. She then started following channels and before we knew it she started her own YouTube channel.”
“As much as we are in the digital arena, not many children can access her YouTube channel. So we wanted to bring Moving with Alicia-Bootcamp to everyone,” she added.
Her daughter debuted her first boot camp in 2023, which will be held yearly going forward.
ALSO READ: Airports Company South Africa receives award
“Who knows, maybe in the future we can do national tours. Moving with Alicia is to lessen sedentary digital time.
“More and more children are becoming obese because they spend little time doing physical activities, or sometimes they don’t participate in extra mural activities,” said Dolores.
“We have also seen an increase in mental illness, so we trying to encourage children to not stay in their head for long, but keep on moving.”
Dolores said that they also seek sponsorship for the tour or boot camp.
For more information, follow Alicia on Instagram @leadtowisdom
